This photo provided by the University of Colorado shows James Holmes. University spokeswoman Jacque Montgomery says 24-year-old Holmes, who police say is the suspect in a mass shooting at a Colorado movie theater, was studying neuroscience in a Ph.D. program at the University of Colorado-Denver graduate school. Holmes is suspected of shooting into a crowd at a movie theater killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens more, authorities said.

AP Photo/The Denver Post, Karl Gehring

People gather outside the Century 16 movie theatre in Aurora, Colo., at the scene of a mass shooting early Friday morning, July 20, 2012. Police Chief Dan Oates says 14 people are dead following the shooting at the suburban Denver movie theater. He says 50 others were injured when gunfire erupted early Friday at the Aurora theater. Oates says a gunman appeared at the front of one of the Century 16 theaters.

AP Photo/Barry Gutierrez

Tom Sullivan, center, embraces family members outside Gateway High School where he has been searching franticly for his son Alex Sullivan who celebrated his 27th birthday by going to see "The Dark Knight Rises," movie where a gunman opened fire Friday, July 20, 2012, in Aurora, Colo.

AP Photo/The Denver Post, RJ Sangosti

Eyewitness Jacob Stevens, 18, hugs his mother Tammi Stevens after being interview by police outside Gateway High School where witnesses were brought for questioning Friday, July 20, 2012 in Aurora, Colo. A gunman wearing a gas mask set off an unknown gas and fired into the crowded movie theater killing 12 people and injuring at least 50 others, authorities said.

AURORA, COLO.  A gunman wearing a gas mask and black SWAT gear hurled a gas canister inside a crowded movie theater during a midnight showing of the new Batman movie Friday and then opened fire, killing 12 people and wounding nearly 60 others in an attack so bizarre that some moviegoers at first thought they were watching Hollywood special effects.

As smoke from the canister spread, audience members watching "The Dark Knight Rises" at the suburban Denver theater saw the silhouette of a person materialize near the screen, point a gun at the crowd and begin shooting, apparently without a word.

New York City's police commissioner said he was told the gunman had painted his hair red and called himself the Joker — Batman's nemesis — but Aurora police would not confirm that.

It was one of the deadliest mass shootings in recent U.S. history.

The suspected gunman, identified as James Holmes, a 24-year-old doctoral student in neuroscience who was about to drop out of the University of Colorado-Denver, was arrested near a car behind the theater.

Authorities gave no motive for the attack. The FBI said there was no indication of ties to any terrorist groups.

"There were bullet (casings) just falling on my head. They were burning my forehead," Jennifer Seeger said, adding that the gunman, dressed like a SWAT team member, fired steadily, stopping only to reload. "Every few seconds it was just: Boom, boom, boom," she said. "He would reload and shoot and anyone who would try to leave would just get killed."

Police said 71 people in all were shot.

Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates said the gunman wore a gas mask, a ballistic helmet and vest, and leg, groin and throat protectors. He said he had an AR-15 military-style, semi-automatic rifle, a shotgun and two pistols.

While some witnesses said the gunman entered through a side-door emergency exit at the front of the theater, a federal law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Holmes bought a ticket and went into the theater as part of the crowd. The official said Holmes then apparently propped open an exit door in the theater as the movie was playing, donned the protective ballistic gear and opened fire.

FBI agents and police used a hook-and-ladder fire truck to reach Holmes' apartment in Aurora. They put a camera at the end of a 12-foot pole inside the apartment and discovered the unit was booby-trapped. Authorities evacuated five buildings as they tried to figure how to disarm the flammable and explosive material.

In New York City, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said: "It clearly looks like a deranged individual. He has his hair painted red. He said he was the Joker, obviously the enemy of Batman."

Oates would not confirm that information, but confirmed he had spoken to Kelly. The two used to work together in New York.

Some of the victims were treated for chemical exposure apparently related to canisters thrown by the gunman. Those hurt included a 4-month-old baby, who was treated at a hospital and released.

Holmes enrolled in a Ph.D. program in neuroscience a year ago but was in the process of withdrawing at the time of the shooting, said University of Colorado-Denver spokeswoman Jacque Montgomery said.

Police released a statement from Holmes' family: "Our hearts go out to those who were involved in this tragedy and to the families and friends of those involved."

The movie opened across the world Friday with midnight showings in the U.S. The shooting prompted officials to cancel the red-carpet premiere in Paris, with workers pulling down the display at a theater on the Champs-Elysees.

Around the U.S., police and some movie theaters stepped up security for daytime showings of the movie, though many fans waiting in line said they were not worried about their safety.

President Barack Obama said he was saddened by the "horrific and tragic shooting," pledging that his administration was "committed to bringing whoever was responsible to justice, ensuring the safety of our people, and caring for those who have been wounded."

It was the worst mass shooting in the U.S. since the Nov. 5, 2009, attack at Fort Hood, Texas. An Army psychiatrist was charged with killing 13 soldiers and civilians and wounding more than two dozen others.

In Colorado, it was the deadliest since the Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999, when two students opened fire in the Denver suburb of Littleton, killing 12 classmates and a teacher and wounding 26 others before killing themselves. Columbine High is about 12 miles from the theater.

Friday's attack began shortly after midnight at the multiplex theater, and audience members said they thought it was part of the movie, or some kind of stunt associated with it.

The film has several scenes of public mayhem — a hallmark of superhero movies. In one scene, the villain Bane leads an attack on the stock exchange and, in another, leads a shooting and bombing rampage on a packed football stadium.

The gunman released a gas that smelled like pepper spray from a green canister, Seeger said. "I thought it was showmanship. I didn't think it was real," she said.

Seeger said she was in the second row, about four feet from the gunman, when he pointed a gun at her face. At first, "I was just a deer in headlights. I didn't know what to do," she said. Then she ducked to the ground as the gunman shot people seated behind her.

She said she began crawling toward an exit when she saw a girl of about 14 "lying lifeless on the stairs." She saw a man with a bullet wound in his back and tried to check his pulse, but "I had to go. I was going to get shot."

Shayla Roeder said she saw a teenage girl on the ground bleeding outside the theater. "She just had this horrible look in her eyes. .... We made eye contact and I could tell she was not all right," Roeder said.

Sylvana Guillen, 20, said that when a man appeared at the front of the theater clad in dark clothing looking like a SWAT team member as Catwoman made an appearance in the movie, the audience "thought it was a joke, a hoax." Then they heard gunshots and smelled smoke from a canister he was carrying, and Guillen knew it was real.

The gunman began walking toward the seats and firing. Guillen said she told her friend, Misha Mostashiry, "You better get ready to be shot."

"All you could do is hope he didn't come for you," Mostashiry said.

The two ran for the emergency exit and safely escaped. On their dash to the exit, they saw a man slip in the blood of a wounded woman he was trying to help.

Police, ambulances and emergency crews swarmed on the scene after frantic calls started flooding the 911 switchboard. Officers came running in and telling people to leave the theater, Salina Jordan told the Denver Post. She said some police were carrying and dragging bodies.

Comments

You're expecting too much from the sheeple of this world. To do something like you've suggested takes someone is willing to sacrifice...someone who doesn't panic...someone who's been trained to be cool under fire...someone who's been in the military. Veteran's are a very small minority in this country. Ideally military service would be mandated for all citizens.

A problem of completely removing someone's comment and any sign that a comment had been there is that subsequent responses appear out of place. The repugnant nature of FHNC's comment brought warranted responses of disgust, but since there is no trace of it, it now appears that Topple and rc52 are commenting on my statement.

In my opinion, the note of "this comment removed" should always remain in place to avoid such confusion.

Moore's film was about the response to the shooting, and it came years after the event. People were killed THIS MORNING and some are still clinging to life. Your making it political RIGHT NOW is repugnant. Truly.

I just have to say that I think it is very unfortunate that you edit reality to conform to your limited worldview. I also think it is very unfortunate that any attempt to use logic and reason to show you this will fail. Since you think these "similarities" are important and need to be answered, here it goes:

The President of the United States has zero control over the actions of individuals. Or do you want to discuss who was in the White House during 9/11?

Why this person withdrew from med school is only speculation at this point, but considering that he is obviously very mentally ill to make the decision to massacre random people in a theatre, I'm guessing that had more to do with it.

"Kalifornia" has around 60 million people in it and a great deal of it is fairly conservative. "Kolorado" is hardly a BLUE state - a swing state at best. Go to Colorado Springs looking for some bastion of liberalism if you don't believe me. Regardless, mentally ill people can live anywhere. The general politics of a state have little to do with it.

OWS membership: That is as silly as claiming Jared Lee Loughner was in the Tea Party and even if true, the acts of one are not reflective of the organization as a whole (or do you want to argue that ALL Catholics are child molesters because of a few priests?)

Yo, FHNC...give it a rest. 12 dead and 50 hurt and you are acting like a scumbag!!!! Really, for once in your friggin life, act like a human and not a "partner" of Mitt Brownback. I don't think you can do it but prove me wrong. Ask how this person got gas and those weapons and then ask if reform needs to be inacted like with all of the voter fraud.

I do think we'll see more of this type of terrorism as our country grows angry and divided. I've seen it coming for some time and my initial reaction was to crush and defeat the enemy, but I quickly realized that the "enemy" is my fellow Americans. So instead, I've decided to try to be civil and respect others even when they disagree with me.

This doesn't mean that I won't speak my mind and disagree, but I will try to do it in a polite civil and constructive manner. I encourage others to do the same. Name calling, insults and bomb throwing only fuel the fire of anger and will cause us to be more divided.

"There is a Jim Holmes of Aurora, Colorado, page on the Colorado Tea Party site as well, talking about him joining the Tea Party last year. Now we don’t know if this is the same Jim Holmes, but it’s Jim Holmes of Aurora, Colo."

@ Ag - If the second person was a skilled marksman and had a clear shot of the shooter than it would have been an improvement - don't you think? Even if the second person couldn't get a head shot, shooting them in the chest even with the vest, would have slowed them down or knocked them down depending on the firepower. People may not die when wearing a bullet proof vest, but it doesn't mean they can't be stopped.

@beatrice- Don't know - probably no stats on it, but that is why I conditioned my response on someone having the skills to safely defend the victims in response to the question posed by ag. Someone without skill just flinging bullets may not improve the situation, but someone who is a skilled marksman would improve it - or do you disagree?

ag, you're just trying to deflect the issue. You asked what could have a CC person do to improve the situation. Your ifs are not very likely, but a CC person who has the skills to shoot under stress in that situation is something that is very feasible.

I know many CC holders that are capable of shooting well under stress and under those conditions.

Maybe one of them did, or more. You know at this point, I hope, that I respect you, so please don't take this as an insult, but for most people, I think the difference between the though of self defense when registering to carry and buying a gun, and actually being in a crowded movie theater with smoke from a smoke grenade, rifle fire, and people running, milling and screaming, is probably quite significant. It's one thing to play Call of Duty while sitting on a couch, and another to be in the situation itself and act calmly and with a collected head, rather than the flight instinct taking over and just running away. I'm willing to bet that a lot of people who have CC are far more brave and sure while under fire in their heads than they'd be in real life if confronted with a situation like this.

I am all for CC, but I have a feeling that even if someone there did, they were smart enough to keep it packed. You only shoot when you know what you are shooting at and hit what you are shooting at. In a dark, loud, smoke-filled theater, this would be nearly impossible.

How do you know someone didn't have a C&C? Just having another armed person in the situation is no guarantee that they will be able to act. For instance, there was a C&C holder in the crowd in Tucson when Giffords was shot, and that was outside on a sunny day, yet he was not able to act in time. Having another gun in the mix is far from a guarantee that something positive will happen. Also, when police arrive, how are they to tell the C&C guy from the bad guy?

Yet I understand the feeling. If we are going to be making wishes, I wish his gun would have backfired on the first shot and taken his head off.

I have heard reports that there were members of the military wounded at the theatre. Who knows - maybe they were trying to go at the guy and were shot or helping those who were wounded. From the eye witness accounts, it was very chaotic and terrifying (to say the least. People would stop and check on the wounded, but have to leave for their lives. No one is prepared for a scene like that. I ask the same question as above, if there was someone with a c and c, what would keep the cops from hurting them by accident, as it was said that they arrived within 90 seconds of receiving the call.

An intelligent individual with C&C that is able to take control in a situation like this would put down or put their weapon away after the threat is eliminated. I agree that it would be a bad idea to walk around afterward with a pistol in hand.

Of the many thousands with C&C permits out there, how many would be considered intelligent or able to take control of the situation? With the exception of someone who has been in battle, wouldn't it almost certainly be the very first time they ever drew their gun on another individual shooting at them? It might work if someone attempts to assault another person, but a busy and chaotic, smoke-filled theater, I'm not sure it would help. Honestly, you really expect the businessman with the .32 in his coat who once spent eight hours in a class and maybe a couple hours at the range in the course of his life to be able to control the situation? Sorry, but I'm just not convinced it would help.

Now. Let's look at what people today regard as "entertainment" The movie being shown displayed violence, terrorism, and similar subjects. Look at some of the video games that some people are so willing to play and get immersed in. Look at the behavior of public officials who are elected to do the public's business and revert to childish and infantile behaviors. Look at the sewer that flows into your lliving room from network television "entertainment shows".

Are there any questions on just what might motivate an extreme mental dysfunction in an unbalanced and immature mind and personality????

Ag, you make a good point. The "Holy Bible" has been the cause of much mayhem for millenia, take a look at the "Crusades". King Phillip of Spain sent an entire arrmada of ships to defeat Elizabethan England and re-establish the Catholic Church in England, not once but three times. Today, many so called "ministers" use this religious dogma to shame people into giving large sums of money to "the work of God" Baloney, God has never received one dime of this money.

Strictly speaking from a deterrence standpoint, I doubt that the psychos are going to be deterred by the thought of state-authorized execution. Especially given how many of these tragedies end with them killing themselves anyway.

If you're arguing purely that it would be more cost effective than keeping them in prison, I would agree with that, from a pure technicality perspective.

. . . and, I suppose, if you're arguing that it would satisfy a need for vengeance, then I suppose that's true as well.

The cost of justice should not have anything to do with it. However, I am opposed to the death penalty because I don't believe it is a deterrent, innocent people have been put to death and it will happen again and finally, because it is contradictory to the law of self-defense - once a person is no longer a threat you cannot kill them. Defense is a right, revenge is not.

The first symptoms of schizophrenia typically manifest themselves in the late teens and early 20's. Given his apparent lack of previous history of mental illness or criminal behavior, I think schizophrenia is a very likely diagnosis. Also fits with his recent dropout from school, that frequently happens alongside the first psychotic break.

Fair enough. Doesn't really change any of the points made, other than making them more purely theoretical. Nor does it really absolutely mean that no one else in the theater had a gun concealed on them. I find the idea that all CC owners follow all those restrictions to be a little naive, assuming such an idea is being thought at this time.

CL, thanks for the honesty. I have no doubt you are not alone in this regard. I don't have real concerns with C&C holders.

However, I still wouldn't want to be in the room with the madman and the hero shooting at one another. I am far from convinced that an extra gun added to the situation would help, especially since we both know that few C&C holders are truly capable of handling this type of situation. For most, it would likely be the first time they ever drew their gun on another indivdual intent on killing people. That doesn't make for a calm and rational response.

Why do you think I have an issue with concealed carry? I fully support the right for most anybody to own guns, and I support the right for individual businesses to decide not to allow them. I won't always agree with those individual decisions, but that's not for me to decide.

But the previous points brought up remain. At best, someone with a CC in the movie theater raises the chance of preventing this from very, very slim to very slim.

Years ago we dismantled the mental health system in this country. It wasn't worth funding and was seemingly viewed as some kind of luxury item. We also made it almost impossible to get treatment for people of a legal age if they resisted no matter how severe the mental issue. Now we wonder why some of these terrible things happen. Those are not the acts of a person with a sound mind, much like the shooter in Arizona a couple of years ago.

As mentioned by someone earlier it is unlikely that anyone would have been able to see to fire back. The theater was dark and filled with smoke. That doesn't make for a good situation to respond in. You could just as easily harm an innocent person in that scenario. He didn't care who or what he hit but you would have to think about that as someone responding to the threat.

"the idea of legal concealed carry on the premises might have been enough to deter this individual from committing this action"

He does seem like the rational, forward-thinking type from what we know about him, doesn't he?

But then, my general cynicism, I suppose, just makes me look at the response to issues like these -- guns are too restricted, guns are too accessible, video games are too violent, we're not raising our children right, christian values are being lost, etc. etc. -- and you know these are all people's personal answers to how we can prevent acts of this sort, too often driven by bias and agenda, but of course not always.

But the answer is: we cannot. We may, through a variety of ways, perhaps lessen their rate, but to eliminate them completely? No, we cannot. They were, are, and will continue to be, all throughout history. Personally, I find the better answer to be: go home and hug your spouse, tell your parents and children you love them, and enjoy your life, because you could easily be dead, in a variety of violent or non-violent ways, any minute. So enjoy the time that you're not.

Have you ever thought that maybe that's what the smoke bomb and all the body armor were
for? Unless you had something really high power you weren't going to faze the guy. A handgun would have just bounced off him. Unless you were carrying something insane in your pants. Say a 30-06.

I own many guns. Only the ones I can't conceal would have dealt with this nut. He was crazy and intelligent . He covered almost every vulnerable part of his body with armor like the bank robbers in LA several years ago. Remember how many LAPD it took to take them down?